


Operation Make Richie Smile

by 0207027



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Insecure Richie Tozier, M/M, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie gets braces and won't stop covering up his smile, Teenagers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, based off a tumblr prompt, eddie is having none of it, this is so self-indulgent I just had to write it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21911692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0207027/pseuds/0207027
Summary: Richie gets braces and is insecure about how they look. Eddie just wants to see his beautiful smile.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 13
Kudos: 420





	Operation Make Richie Smile

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this based off an anonymous prompt sent to my tumblr @motherfuckingtozier. The anon wanted "richie with braces and eddie's reaction". This pure fluff is what I came up with, enjoy.

Eddie _loved_ Richie’s smile. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone, because loving your best friend’s smile so much it hurt was probably not normal, especially when said friend’s smile was not exactly picture perfect. Richie had always been insecure about his teeth, which were crooked and oddly spaced. In elementary school people called him “Bucky Beaver” and Richie _hated_ it. He always had some snappy comeback but Eddie noticed the way he would self-consciously cover his mouth afterwards.

As they got older Eddie started to appreciate Richie's smile more and more. There was something charming about the way his teeth fell into each other at odd angles, and Richie impressed and entertained all the Losers with his ability to whistle between the gap in his front teeth. But what Eddie really loved about Richie's smile was how his whole face shone with it. His eyes would glint and the skin around them would crinkle, his whole face softening. It was breathtaking, and Eddie missed it.

When Richie had announced that he would be getting braces he seemed excited. His parents had been saving up for years, and now that Richie was going into high school they decided he could be trusted to maintain them properly. Richie kept going on and on about how he would be a "certifiable babe" once his teeth were fixed. Of course Eddie just rolled his eyes and reminded him that even if his teeth weren't crooked his awful personality would still be enough to scare any girl away. Richie pouted and made a big show of being heartbroken, falling against Eddie's chest as he flung his arm across his forehead. Eddie pushed him off and tried desperately to stop the flush from spreading across his face.

The first few days after Richie got his braces were filled with his complaints.

"They _hurt_ Eds, why do they hurt so much?" Richie whined, dramatically flopping down face first onto Eddie's bed.

"Maybe because they are literally pushing your teeth around in your mouth, dumbass. Did you think they would just magically straighten your teeth without you feeling anything?" Eddie honestly felt kind of bad for Richie, but the pain would pass. And Richie had made fun of Eddie when he complained about his cast, so this was karma.

"I guess I didn't put much thought into it Dr. K. Not all of us have strangely extensive medical knowledge." Richie's voice was muffled by the mattress, so he sat up, turning to face Eddie again. "But I guess it's true what they say, beauty is pain." Richie winks and smiles, but Eddie notices that it's only with his lips.

Eddie thought it was just that Richie was getting used to the braces, but after a few weeks he still wasn't fully smiling, or if he did he covered his mouth with his hand or ducked his head down. Eddie knew it was because of the braces. Richie had even commented a few times on how ugly having a "metal mouth" was, joking about how his food needed a password to get past the gate.

Eddie felt like he was in mourning every time Richie hid his smile, but he didn't know how he could talk to Richie about it. It was _definitely_ weird to tell your friend that you missed seeing their smile so much it kept you up at night. Eddie was determined to make Richie properly smile again. And anyway, Eddie thought the braces were kind of adorable. They made Richie look softer and drew attention to every little thing Richie did with his mouth, like chewing on his pencil (which was objectively disgusting considering all the germs it must have on it, but for some reason was endearing when Richie did it).

So Eddie initiated _Operation Make Richie Smile_. It was not a great success. Eddie tried everything, but no matter what he did Richie never forgot to hide his mouth. Eddie even made a dick joke! Richie had laughed about it for at least 5 minutes but by the time he looked up from where he was clutching his stomach to comment on how red Eddie's face was his smile was close-mouthed. Eddie felt like screaming.

It had been a month since Richie got braces, and Eddie was at his wits end. He hated how insecure they made Richie. He had never seen Richie lack confidence so much that he hid something before, and it made him want to rant and rave at Richie about how beautiful he was until he believed it. As embarrassing as that would have been, it might have been better than what he actually did.

They were sitting on Eddie's bed, studying for a history test they had the next day when Richie cracked some joke about everyone being horny for George Washington. Eddie, understandably, started expounding upon the numerous reasons that was gross and disrespectful, and Richie started smiling, but he was covering it with his hand.

Eddie's reaction was automatic, his hand shooting up and snatching Richie's wrist, yanking it down abruptly.

"Stop that!" He admonished sternly.

Richie for his part looked entirely surprised, staring at where Eddie's hand was holding his wrist with wide eyes.

"Stop what?" The smile was gone now, replaced with a look of pure confusion.

"Stop covering your fucking mouth every time you smile! It's annoying!" Eddie feels the heat start in his cheeks as his mind catches up with his mouth. What the fuck was he doing?

"Oh, I-uh...sorry, I guess?" Richie looks back down to where Eddie's hand is still gripping his wrist. Eddie feels the heat start radiating down his neck and he knows his skin is tomato red. He immediately drops Richie's wrist, desperately looking for a way to backpedal.

"You don't have to be sorry, I just… I don't… you shouldn't cover your smile." Eddie is looking very hard at the book spread out before him, praying a wormhole will open up and transport him to a time before he decided to make everything weird.

"I didn't even realize I was doing that, to be honest. The braces are just...ugly. They draw all kinds of attention to my teeth which are still fucked up and they look really dorky. I guess I just covered it without thinking about it." Richie's tone conveys an unspoken question. It asks _why_ Eddie even cares.

"The braces _aren't_ ugly, and neither are your teeth. You...you have a really nice smile." Apparently Eddie wasn't done embarrassing himself, but he can't help it. He hates that Richie thinks that way about any part of himself. Richie's cheeks start to turn red as he processes what Eddie said.

"Aww Eds, you think I'm _beautiful_." Richie coos at him, and he smiles, his hands twitching slightly before staying where they are in his lap.

"That's not what I said asshole!" Eddie shoves him, but he feels himself start to smile too. God he'd missed seeing Richie look so unabashedly happy. He didn't notice he was staring until Richie's smile started to falter, his cheeks burning brighter red.

"You didn't disagree." Richie says, and it's much quieter, less teasing.

"No, I guess I didn't." Eddie's voice came out softer than he expected, his hands fidgeting a bit.

"Y'know I uh…I think you're beautiful too." Richie looks really nervous as he says it, like he's waiting for Eddie to say "sike" and laugh about the whole thing.

"Is that a genuine compliment from Richie Tozier? Pinch me, I must be dreaming." Eddie says, laughing even as his heart races in his chest.

"At least I'm not the one who gets all hot over _braces_." Richie says, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm _not_ hot for braces!" Eddie's voice comes out shrill and he feels himself flush even more.

"Oh, so then it's me who gets your engine revving? Y'know there's no shame in that, I am incredibly hot it's no wonder you--" Whatever Richie was going to say is muffled by Eddie's lips pressing into his. It's not a great kiss, Eddie's mouth smacking into Richie's with more force than he intended. Eddie pulls back after a couple of seconds, wide eyed and breathing shakily from nerves. Richie slowly raises his hand to his lips, looking dumbstruck. He pulls his finger back and Eddie sees a smudge of blood.

"Fuck, did I do that?" Eddie asks, frantically moving forward to grab Richie's face so he can inspect the damage.

"It was my braces, Eds. You came in a little hard and it knocked my lip into them, I'm fine." And this time it's Richie's hands grabbing Eddie's wrists. He's smiling again, his lip stinging where it stretches around the cut.

"Just couldn't wait to jump me, could you? Man I know I'm sexy but you are an _animal_ Spaghetti." Richie is laughing again and Eddie is mortified.

"I just wanted you to shut up you jerk!" Eddie snaps back.

"I will gladly let you shut me up like that any time. In fact, I wouldn't mind giving my voice a break right about now." Richie is waggling his eyebrows, leaning closer to Eddie.

" _Ew_ , no Richie. Not when you're bleeding! Do you know how unsanitary that is?!" Eddie pushes Richie away and he starts to pout.

"Well then come on Dr. K, patch me up. It's impolite to cut someone's lip and not kiss it better." Richie is already standing, pulling Eddie towards the bathroom to get supplies. Eddie shakes his head as he gets pulled along, grinning at the thought of kissing Richie's beautiful smile again.


End file.
